Governor locks out SSG, Govt House Staff over lateness

Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, earlier today (Wednesday) locked the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Tina Agbor and other staff in governors office out of the government house over lateness to work.

The Governor who was said to have arrived office at about 7am was angry when he noticed that only his spokesman, Christian Ita, was in the office.

Infuriated by the situation, Ayade ordered security agents to lock all entrances to the government house warning that nobody should be allowed in.

It would be recalled that in June 2015, Ayade locked out staff that came after 8am which is the official resumption time for civil servants.

The Deputy Governor, Professor Ivara Esu, who arrived at about 8am was however allowed in without hesitation.

Although the gates were eventually opened at 9am for some senior staff and top government officials, at the time of filing this report, some Civil Servants, security aides and other appointees were still kept out by stern looking security operatives in the Governor’s convoy on His Excellency’s directive.

A staff in the Governor’s office who spoke in confidence slammed the over what he described as “overzealousness” by the governor.

The worker said that “According to civil and public service laws, work resumes officially by 8am. We don’t understand why the governor decided to come to office earlier than usual today and locked all of us out.

“Personally, I was not late. I arrived here a few minutes before 8am. That is even before the deputy governor came. Seriously, I think Ayade is just being unnecessarily overzealous with his ‘show-body’. The position has entered his head too much that he does things at times without thinking of what others feel”.

Asked whether there was any circular that workers should resume work before time on Wednesday, he said that “There was no information to that effect. May be the governor derives pleasure in embarrassing people. He should know that most people have been here and are familiar with how things works”.